BD - my ideal man is Keith Hamilton Cobb, formerly of "All My Children" and now on "Andromeda" - any questions?!!!!!!!!
Ann - This could be a really long story but I'll Reader's Digest it - two white boys were screwing around with a stereo (scratching the record to make that noise, turning volume upand down, changing speeds, etc.) NO ONE said a word to them!!! So I had picked up a kitchen timer ($1.00) and told Michael that we could use it for when he practices his piano - he asked how it worked. I showed him. Then I let him try it. I turned my back and he put it down and went over to the piano. He said, "Mom, middle C!" and hit the note. The woman came out like she was on fire, grabbed the timer and gave Michael a dirty look.
That's when I realized what she was about. I went to where she was and asked about the timer. That's when she (this old leather skinned woman) told me that Michael was hitting the piano keys and playing with the timer and he could break it. I told her that he played piano and I had been testing the timer because he could use it when he practiced. She insisted that he was going to break it and that's why she took it from him. So, in my best stage voice (loud and New York aggressive) I went after her talking about her being prejudice because those two boys were NEVER corrected and the stereo was worth more than the $1.00 timer we were testing. She insisted that they were told to leave it alone and I informed her that I had been in the store for a while and was not deaf! Anyway, I told her that it was a racial issue because Michael is black (actually he calls himself "beige tan") and those boys were white.
Mom came running over and she did her best "angry eyes" while I ranted on and on. One of the other employees came over and said, "We aren't prejudice here. I have one black friend."
Well, at least she can count.
Michael learned his first lesson in racial profiling and how tough it is going to be for a mixed race child in a society that screams "don't abort" but hasn't a clue about what happens to these children if they aren't. I always said I was strong enough to raise my adopted children to understand that prejudice comes from fear and ignorance, but there are always stupid people in the world who can't be taught and have no racial tolerance.
Again, they want to look dark (tanning booths, sun) but don't want to be born dark!!! Seeing as how I believe that God made us all and our differences make us unique - sometimes here in Indiana, I feel like it's a losing battle.
Rae
OH MY.....
